Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Frederickson.
Hi Jen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello! My Name is Jen Frederickson. I am a Catholic mom of 5 who lives in the Twin Cities. I have over 16 years of photography experience, but I recently did a little re-brand and officially started my photography business back up after taking a bit of a break as my amazing husband and I grew our family. When I think back to how I originally got started in photography, I immediately remember when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. The architecture and general beauty in Europe was so inspiring that I knew I had to capture it with my tiny digital camera I brought along. It was there that I truly fell in love with photography. When I got back to the States, I saved my pennies and bought myself my first “big girl” camera. When I officially started my business my senior year of college, I decided I would pay tribute to where it all began and call it “La Cattura Photography.” Which means “The Capture” in Italian. I slowly started building a client base and learning more and more about the art of capturing the beauty around me and the beauty of the human person in photos. As I went along with the attitude of “fake it ’till you make it,” I quickly realized that I didn’t really have to fake it. I was actually kind of good at it! That being said, I believe all good things come from God and He gives us certain abilities in life not only to help glorify Him, but also to simply make us happy. He delights in seeing us find our talents and our vocations in life. While I do believe my number one vocation is to be a wife and a mother, this is a secondary one that He has blessed me with to give me a creative outlet in which I find happiness, individuality, energy and joy! I also love bringing happiness and joy to others as I capture special moments and memories in their lives with the art of photography. After I had my 3rd baby, I realized that I needed to take a step back from the business side of things and focus on my littles. I noticed that photography was no longer bringing me the joy it used to. I was feeling stressed and anxious about leaving my babies and finding the time to fit it all into our increasingly busy life as now-outnumbered parents. I made the difficult decision to “close up shop” and wait until it felt more manageable to incorporate it back into my life. I knew God would tell me when the time was right! During that break, I didn’t stop taking pictures. I still worked with family and friends here and there to keep the “blue flame” alive and slowly start to find that joy and creative spark again. During that “break” time we added 2 more little ones to our family and I soaked up the moments, however insane they might sometimes be, as best as I could! Now, fast-forward to just after our 5th baby turned one, I felt the itch. Maybe it was just the fact that I felt cooped up and uninspired by the long Minnesota winter which was finally showing signs of coming to an end… but the itch was there. I wanted to create again. I wanted to be behind the camera again and help capture memories for people again. God was whispering, so I ran with it. I picked up my phone and texted some friends asking if they’d be interested in some spring mini sessions. I got an overwhelmingly positive response and so I ran with it… and here we are! La Cattura is back and so is my joy, my excitement, my sense of individuality and my love of photography. While I am taking it slow and still keeping an appropriate and manageable balance between my home life and my “work” life, I am loving being back at it and boy is it fun. This has all been such a great reminder to me that when you listen to the whispers, He will lead you to the good things He has planned for you… all in His perfect time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As I mentioned before, some of the biggest struggles were just finding the time to fit it in with my busy life as a wife and mother. I also had some struggles with postpartum anxiety and knew I needed to take a break to focus on healing and being with my family as we adjusted to the new little blessing God gave us.
One other notable struggle is the dreaded “imposter syndrome.” This has plagued me from the start, but quite honestly, it has recently vanished after starting things back up this time around. That feels like an amazing gift and a clear sign that this was supposed to be a part of my life again! I feel confident and competent and no longer feel like I have to “fake it till I make it!”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would say I specialize in family photography. I love capturing the love of the family and the sweet little smiles of children! I love seeing the photos that come from the more candid, laughter-filled moments in a session and I literally sit at my computer with a huge smile on my face as I edit. I’ve found my “thing.”
However, I also really enjoy other types of photography as well, such as senior photos, maternity photos, newborns, engagements and much more! While I am not currently taking weddings, I may also offer those again someday. I just cannot commit to that right now.
I would say the thing that sets me apart in this saturated industry is my faith and my ability to connect with kids. Strange how things work out… God gave me a boat load of children, so it’s no wonder he wanted me to take what I have learned from that out into the world and use it to help bring joy to others!
One goal I do have is to eventually become a birth-photographer. I absolutely love all things labor and delivery and I want to help capture those life-changing, miraculous moments for other parents. The only thing keeping me from offering those services right now is the fact that I cannot leave at the drop of a hat for an indefinite amount of time while I have small children at home. But I hope to be able to fulfill this dream down the road, because boy would it be magical.
Finally, I would say I am most proud of the fact that I have found my confidence. My imposter syndrome is gone and I have realized that I truly do have a gift to offer others.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am not much of an analyst, nor am I much of a businesswoman. I don’t really know what to say to this other than I will be here… Doing my thing…focusing on affordability all the while. That is one thing that is so important to me. I strive to work with clients on pricing and to always keep my services affordable because I believe everyone should be able to have beautiful, professional quality photos of their families!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacatturaphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacatturaphotography
Image Credits
Headshot by Kaylee Hiatt and other photos by La Cattura Photography
